


Spaces In Between

by mikuridaigo



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Getting Together, M/M, Pre-Canon, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-13
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-23 17:42:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7473654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikuridaigo/pseuds/mikuridaigo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i> Keith covered his mouth as he felt to his knees. Tears streamed down his face, and months after the announcement, months after Katie's accusations of a cover up, and just hours after his own outburst, he finally cried. </i>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Keith and Shiro met at the Garrison. Keith was the hotheaded cadet, Shiro became his mentor. They fall in love, and then fall apart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spaces In Between

**Author's Note:**

> Taking a break from Klance to write this piece. It is essentially my interpretation of Shiro and Keith's relationship before episode one of Voltron. I seriously believe these two have some kind of history, and this is what I thought of. 
> 
> Tone of this story goes to [ Bloodstream by Stateless ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3b1CDLsiGU)
> 
> Also, I know that Pidge didn't actually know who Keith was in episode one, but I'd figure for this that they met previously. To me, and just because Pidge's backstory is one I really enjoyed, 'Katie' and Keith running into each other before Voltron seems possible. 
> 
> Un-beta'd, apologies for any spelling or grammatical errors

It began with yelling

Shiro walked into the observation deck with a stack of papers. Professor Montgomery, who was supposed to be control room, was instead on the training ground spitting words into the new cadets. Three cadets had their heads down, taking in the ridicule and criticisms from the professor and classmates.

But one of them had his hand in a fist, his eyes leering rather than tearing. His mouth moved upward, ready to say something but held back. He recognized him as Cadet Keith Gyeong, described to be Shiro’s successor once he graduated. At least, that’s what he was told at the beginning of the semester. His test scores were never anything lower than an A, and his solo piloting skills just barely passed Shiro’s. But in recent gossip between professors, Keith seemed to have trouble in group piloting. His carelessness as a solo pilot did not translate well with a crew, which brought major tension between Keith, his teammates, and the professor scoring them.

“And you Gyeong! You are the captain of this, do you have any explanation for this unsuccessful simulation?”

Keith shot up, his knuckles white and fist trembling. “The mission was a success, we were able to rescue all crew members and return to earth.”

The professor leaned in. “You destroyed two wings, injured your communications officer, and lost half the cargo!”

“But we came back, and everyone lived. Wasn’t that the point of the mission?!”

Shiro saw how hard he was breathing; how much he was resisting to punch their professor in his other eye.

“The point, _cadet_ , is to conduct the rescue in a safe manner! Damage to the ship could have cost your team their lives!”

“But it _didn’t_!”

“Hmph,” Montgomery took out his clipboard and scribbled. “70/100.”

While his group mates seemed relieved at their barely passing score, Keith was not. He stepped forward. “Sir! It was completed, why did you deduct so many point?!”

“The original score was an 85, but your recklessness cost your group the other points. Next group!”

“But—“

“NEXT!”

Keith took another step towards the professor. He looked up with him, his mouth in a snarl, his eyes burning, and a stance ready to fight. But a second later he walked out of the facility. Montgomery shook his head.

Shiro left the papers on the desk and quickly followed him out. It wasn’t that hard to find, when he heard a hand slam into the metal hallway followed by a “dammit!”

Keith caressed his bruised fist when Shiro approached him. He made sure to keep a bit of distance, in case Keith were to lash out again. “Do you want that checked out?”

Keith turned around, hiding his fist behind his back while saluting him. “Mr. Shirogane, I-…”

Shiro waved his hand down so that Keith could stop saluting him. While he was top of the academy, and a fully trained pilot for the Kerberos mission in the summer, he couldn’t accept just yet that he was a real pilot.

“I’m fine.” Keith quickly said. “I just need some air.”

“May I join you?” Keith shrugged, allowing Shiro to walk by his side as they exited the academy the training facility. “Is there anywhere you wanted to go?” Keith just shrugged as he kept his gaze to the floor. “Well I think I have a place in mind.”

Taking his hand, Shiro led him to the control tower, sneaking past the workers on duty. Once he knew they were distracted he took Keith up a ladder, opening the hatch to the roof. “Mr. Shirogane? Is this allowed?”

Shiro smiled. “No, no it is not. But please, just call me Shiro.”

He held his right hand out for Keith and pulled him up. Keith lost his footing, falling forward and into Shiro’s arms. “Careful now, there’s no netting so if we fall that’s it for us.”

Keith gripped onto his arm, unsure where to place his foot on the slopped tiles. He felt Shiro lead him to a flat spot where the two could finally sit down. The desert breeze was cooler up there with less dust. Keith finally looked up and was greeted with the beautiful brown and orange ridges of the desert cliffs and mountains. The sky was its usual clear blue color with the white moon peeking through the atmosphere.

“Wow.” Only being able to see the desert from a ground view was very constricting. The cliff sides were too tall, sand always in his eyes, and a sinking feeling whenever he walked around. But from up here, it was magnificent.

“So, wanna tell me what happened down there?” Shiro asked.

Keith shook out of his trance, crossing his arms. “What’s there to say. Montgomery is an asshole.”

He was surprised to hear Shiro laugh at that. “Yeah, he’s a real pain. I got an earful from him when I crashed one of the jets.”

“Wait, _you_ crashed a real jet?”

“Sure did!” He said with a big smile. “It is nothing like the simulator. Got nervous and nosedived it into a sand dune. Luckily I was barely in the air, so no real damage. I’m surprise no one has said that story.”

Keith scoffed. “Of course not. You’re the best student at the Garrison, why would they tell us your mistakes?”

“As anecdotes for what not to do?” Shiro shrugged. “But… he’s right. Despite the successful mission your crew was in danger.”

He saw Keith flare up again, but instead of yelling he pulled his knees to his chest. “I didn’t think the damage was too bad.”

“I’ve seen worse in the cargo piloting class.” He said, making Keith snort. “Still though, you have to remember with a crew you can’t pull those stunts you do in solo practice. You were doing the storm rescue mission, correct?” Keith nodded. “So if you were going solo and you had to fly out, what were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that I had to find the eye of the storm, and push the thrusters to leave it.”

“And that works when you’re alone. But in a group you also have to account for your crew. The sudden speed, also keeping in mind for the turbulence because of the storm, will throw them around. You have to remember to tell your crew your plan, ensure they are safe, and then follow through.

Shiro continued. “Instincts are good, and can save you, but in a group, you have to make sure your instincts include your crew. If you’re able to warp your instincts into that, your crew will be saved, and maybe your crew scores wouldn’t be as low as your solo ones.”

Keith nodded. “I think I understand… yeah I-- Wait, you know my scores?”

“Uh…” Shiro scratched the back of his head. “I was in the observation deck when he yelled your score. And uh, I was curious about my ‘successor’. Sorry if that came out creepy.”

“Oh…” Keith hugged his legs tighter. “I’m not trying to succeed you. I just want to get out and fly.”

Shiro placed his hand on his shoulder. “And you will. You just need to be more patient, and try not to poke Montgomery’s eye out.”

When Keith finally laughed, Shiro felt a sense of relief. Keith always looked so uptight and angry during classes, it was good to know he just needed a good laugh to loosen up.

“Hey! What are you two doing up there?”

The window of the control tower was open with one worker sticking his head out.

Shiro waved at him sheepishly. “Sorry sir, we’ll get down immediately!”

“Good thing you’re the head of the class.” Keith said as he opened the hatch. “Otherwise we’d probably be suspended.”

“Being at the top has its perks.” Shiro said with a wink. Keith quickly looked down the ladder, mostly so Shiro couldn’t see the faint blush on his face.

 

* * *

 

They meet again in the gym.

Keith spent the majority of his free time in the training simulator where he fought robotic dummies in hand to hand or weapons combat. With the training sword in his hand, Keith lunged at the dummy, stabbing it straight in the heart. He pulled it out and swung it under his side, hitting the dummy coming from behind.

Two more dummies with their arms stretched out rolled his way. Taking a few steps back, Keith ran forward and slid on his side to knock one on the floor. He stabbed the dummy in the neck, shoving it until he felt the blade penetrate to the other side.

The second dummy stood up and grabbed Keith by his shoulders, throwing him to the ground. His sword was still stuck in the dummy as the other one loomed over him. Lifting his legs and pushing himself with his arms he kicked the dummy’s head off, watching the wires spark as it fell to the ground.

The simulation ended. Each dummy self-repaired as they returned to their stations. Keith wiped the sweat from his forehead, breathing heavier than he liked.

“Not too bad.”

He jumped at the voice since he thought he had the entire room to himself. Shiro stood by the doorway with his usual smile on his face. “Shiro. I—uh… thank you?”

“Is it alright if I show you a trick though?”

“Yeah, yeah that’s fine.”

Like piloting, Shiro also topped the charts in combat. Combat was only an extra-curricular at the Garrison, since aerospace exploration did not require fighting, just for their bodies to be in shape under extreme conditions. Shiro held the highest score in hand-to-hand combat, so of course Keith would accept his tips.

Shiro took another training sword and began the simulator. One training dummy appeared. “Your jabs are powerful, but you waste too much energy on one. You have to be swift, use slashes instead.”

The dummy began to roll straight for him. When it was within a few feet from Shiro, he swiped the sword across its neck. From Keith’s perspective, the sword just bad a light cut on his neck. But when the dummy’s head fell over and stopped working, he realized the cut was much larger.

“It’s shallower than what you’ve been doing but with how long the cut was your opponent would fall and bleed out. Wanna try it?”

Nodding, Keith took his stance, waiting for the next dummy. Shiro didn’t start the simulation just yet as he walked to Keith’s side and touched his arms. “Your stance is too ridged. Relax, spread your legs out a little more.” Shiro’s foot nudged Keith’s. “And bring your arms closer together.” Shiro was pressing his chest to his back, his hands touching Keith’s arms as he gently pushed them to his center.

“Alright,” Shiro said, moving away from him. “Now attack.”

The dummy moved again. Keith ran forward, aiming his sword across the dummy rather than through it. When it was close Keith swung, cutting the dummy through the stomach. Like its previous one it fell and shut off.

“There you go!” Shiro exclaimed as he patted his back. “I recommend that when you have more than one opponent. Otherwise your deep stabs also do the job.”

Keith nodded, noticing that Shiro’s hand was still on his back.

A phone pinged. Shiro took his hand off of Keith to check on it.

“Damn, sorry to cut this short but I have to get going.”

“No problem. Thank you for helping me.”

Shiro smiled. “Anytime, Keith.”

 

* * *

 

Whenever someone said ‘anytime’ to Keith, that usually meant it was probably not going to happen again. In his experience, it was just a customary saying. The other person was offering help, but made no effort to really show that help even when you asked. So although Shiro was a genuinely nice person, who has helped him twice in the past week, he didn’t expect to run into him again.

That was until lunch break on a random Wednesday.

It may have been just a week since Keith last saw Shiro, and because Shiro was in the senior class and working under the professors, he never thought he would see him in the student cafeteria.

Keith was sitting by himself at a corner table for two. He was reading his textbook while slowly eating the bland mash potatoes and what they claimed to be roast beef when a tray was placed on the table. Shiro sat down soon after already digging into his food.

“Mind if I sit here?”

Keith looked behind Shiro. All eyes were on them with light chatter. He made out a few words, mostly about Shiro, with many of them questioning why he was there.

“Uh, sure?”

A beat. “I didn’t get your number.”

Keith was in the middle of eating the beef when he coughed. “What?”

“Your number. I said I’d help you anytime.”

“You did?” He heard ‘anytime’ while they were at the gym, but never the words ‘help you’.

“Yeah. Again, sorry I haven’t seen you in a while. I had to finish some tests with a professor.” Shiro took out his phone. “So is this okay?”

“Yeah, yeah it’s fine.” Keith took his out too. Exchanging phones, they typed in their names and numbers down.

“So what class is that for?” Shiro asked, pointing to his book.

“Historical space failures.”

“Ouch, that class is depressing isn’t it?”

Keith chuckled. “Yeah. I think it’s a scare tactic to turn pilots away. It’s more just sad though than scary.”

“I think I still have my notes for that class. I can lend them to you?”

“Really, you’d do that?” Keith wasn’t struggling in the class at all, but reading pages and pages of every little thing that went wrong in various launches to the gruesome details of a pilot’s imminent death in space did exhaust him a bit. Notes on the important chapters would be helpful.

“Of course. Meet me by my room before lights out?”

Keith nodded. “Y-yeah, I can do that.”

 

* * *

 

Nighttime hour in the dorms were just as strict as regular class hours. Cadets were expected to be in their rooms by eight pm and were not allowed to leave until six am. Anyone caught had points demoted that could eventually lead to detention. And with Keith's constant arguments with his professors, extra demoted points during nighttime would definitely land him detention for a good month. 

Keith made sure he was at Shiro’s door by seven, giving him enough time just to grab his notes and return to his room. He didn’t need more demoted points on his record. The problem, though, was that each floor was segregated by class, and he was not allowed on the senior floor. The guard made sure of that.

“But Mr. Shirogane asked for me to stop by. I need to collect his notes.”

“I’m sorry cadet but no freshmen allowed in—

“Uh, sir?” Behind the guard was Shiro, still dressed in his uniform. “Apologies that I didn’t run this by you, but I did ask for Mr. Gyeong to come by.”

The guard looked down at Keith before stepping aside. Shiro waved his hand, signaling for Keith to follow him. “Sorry about that again. I told the first guard but I think they changed shifts before you got here.”

“That’s alright.” Keith just mumbled.

The rooms of the cadets had a bed, a nightstand, a closet, and a small bathroom. Each student came in with their own supplies and items that made it their own. Keith, however, just brought a coat rack to hang his jacket. A desk lamp was also his personal item, but other than that it looks like no one was living there. Shiro’s room, however, hung corkboards where he pinned his paperwork and constellations with red circles.

This was why Shiro was top cadet. He was preparing for travel, even before he graduated.

Shiro went through the bottom of his drawer and pulled out a semi-worn notebook. “This should be it.”

“Thanks again. You’ve really been helpful.”

“Of course. Gotta watch out for my successor, right?” Shiro asked with a wink.

Keith nodded, trying his hardest not to blush. “R-right. Successor.” His eyes wandered the room, trying not to stare directly into Shiro’s brown eyes, and wow he had really pretty eyes. “Uh, so all the way to Kerberos huh?” He asked, directing his attention a picture of Pluto that had thumb-tacked picture of the spacecraft he was going to fly.

“Yeah, it’s going to be a seven-month mission to get there alone.”

“So what are you guys flying? Have you piloted it yet?”

“As a matter of fact I have.” Shiro went to his laptop and turned it on. He pulled up a picture of the spacecraft that was stationed in the hanger bay. “Last summer I took this to the moon with Dr. Holt.”

“So did you crash this one too?” Keith asked teasingly.

Shiro laughed. “Luckily not! I can only imagine Dr. Holt revoking my degree if I did. But after that it was kind of settled that I’d be flying that all the way to Kerberos. Actually he's doing the flying, I'm just the co-pilot.”

Keith leaned against his door, thinking how cool it must have been to leave the atmosphere like that. The g-force simulator was a thrill on its own, he could barely imagine actually going through it. “That’s amazing. God I want to be in your position.”

“Haha don’t wish that just yet. To be honest, I’m nervous as hell.”

“Really? But you’ve done so much training here.”

While sitting on his desk chair, Shiro patted his bed for Keith to sit down. Keith obliged. “Honestly, I don’t think any amount of training can prepare me for what’s really going to be out there. Seven months, just three guys in nothing but vast emptiness.” He sat forward, his elbows resting on his thighs while his chin rested on his hands. “It’ll be so cold up there, and we can only listen to the computers or our music, which with the Holts? Will be limited.” He laughed, but then his face became sullen.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to be part of this mission. I’m just scared of going space crazy.”

“But you’ve taken several psychological tests, right?” Keith asked, scooting forward so that he was closer to Shiro.

“Passed them all, but you never know, right? Anything can go wrong, and I’m just afraid of losing it so far away from home. No one can help us.” His voice was in a whisper, as if he was afraid someone outside would hear them.

Keith touched his knee, making Shiro look up at him. “Shiro, if all that talk about you is true, then I think you will be able to handle anything that happens out there.”

Shiro sat up straight, touching Keith’s hand. “Thank you. I think I really needed to hear that.”

“Has no one told you that before?”

He shrugged. “I think everyone has been assuming I’ll be fine. But yeah… you never know.”

Keith shook his head. “No, you’ll never know. But you can adapt and prepare, right?”

“Yeah, I can. Looks like my own advice is turning back on me.”

“Maybe if you used your own advice you wouldn’t be worrying.”

That made Shiro laugh. It was light and cheerful, just like his smile. “Thank you.”

Keith definitely knew he was blushing. “Anytime.”

 

* * *

 

Keith could tell his crew was nervous. The way that Lisa fumbled the controls, and how Rocky couldn’t stop double checking if the space craft was secured and up to shape, they were not happy that he was still their captain. Keith couldn’t blame them based on their last score. Despite technically passing it, passing was not enough to obtain the flight certificate.

So far everything was going smoothly. Lisa was contacting the space station, sending their data through. Rocky watched the monitors, ensuring that all engines were up and running. Then the real test began. They entered the asteroid belt, and were supposed to land on one asteroid to complete the test.

Soon enough an alarm blared. Two asteroids collided and now their debris were flying in their direction. “Everyone strapped in?” Keith asked. They responded with a yes sir. “Hold on tight, I’m going to dodge them.”

He gripped onto the wheel and turned the ship to the left, then a right, and then a deep dive to avoid the asteroids above them. “Update!”

“All commutations are online.”

“No damage to the ship.”

The alarm blared again, signaling their next test. One asteroid, no matter how much Keith dodged it, hit the right thruster.

“Right thruster down!”

Keith stared at the screen, his foot tapping fast as he was trying to think of what to do. Their target was just up ahead, but because of the lack of one thruster they were slowly drifting away from it.

“Rocky can you fix it?”

“Uh, yeah? It won’t be as strong though!”

“That’s fine repair what you can and tell me when it’s done. Lisa contact the space station of our condition.”

“Roger.” He listened to Rocky type and swipe his tablet while Lisa called the station. Their ship was still drifting away from their target.

“Done!” Rocky yelled.

“Alright guys, this is going to be a little tricky.” Originally, his plan was to use all the power of the left thruster to fly into and bounce off another asteroid. There would be damage to his left wing, but he’d be able to land on the target. He knew he couldn’t do that in this situation, even if he ran it by his crew.

He turned off the left thruster. “Rocky, when I say so turn on the right thruster to its fullest. Its blast will be just enough for us to make a small turn towards our target. Then, I’ll turn on the left so at a lower power. Got it?”

“Got it!”

Keith took a deep breath. “Okay, three, two, one—go!”

The right thruster went on a full blast for just two seconds. It was enough for Keith to turn the ship before the power lowered. Keith turned back on the left thruster to a minimum power, and they were flying straight to their target again. In a minute they had a safe landing, with Lisa calling out for an emergency space craft to come their way.

On the top of the screen green lights read ‘Mission success.’

The back door opened with their professor asking them to step out. They stood in line, their hands behind their backs while standing straight. Montgomery wrote on his clipboard, and with a straight face said. “Nice work cadets. 95”

Rocky let out a long sigh of relief, while Lisa jumped happily. Keith blinked, unsure if he actually heard him correctly.

“Next! Gyeong, move so the next set can go through!”

“Y-yes sir.”

Keith, Lisa, and Rocky sat to the side, watching the screen as the next group went in. While Montgomery wasn’t looking, he pulled out his phone to text Shiro.

Keith  
_95/100 on the crew test._

Shiro’s text was immediate. He must not have been in class, or breaking to rules just to reply.

Shiro  
_Great job! Knew you can do it!_

Keith pushed his phone back in his pocket as he wore a small smile for the rest of the day.

* * *

 

Shiro:  
_Hey, you busy after your last class?_

Keith:  
_No, why?_

Shiro:  
_Wanna train at the gym? Got some new things to show you_

Keith:  
_Sure. See you in a few hours._

 

* * *

 

Keith only saw Shiro in his cadet uniform, button up to his collar, ironed and straightened, and not a thread out of place. So when he entered the gym, and Shiro was wearing a tight tank top with a neckline too low for most men’s shirts, and gym pants for some reason too tight that it showed his calves, Keith had to use all his self-will not to stare too long and memorize the way his back muscles flexed while doing stretches.

“Alright, this one will be just regular hand-to-hand combat, is that alright?”

“Y-yeah.” Keith tried not to moan out. He should have asked for sword training instead, that would at least be less physical contact.  

Shiro held his fists up. “Ready?”

_Hell no_ , Keith thought even though he nodded.

Keith was the first to attack starting with a left swing that Shiro easily blocked. But then Keith dropped low and swiped his leg, knocking Shiro over to his side. Shiro shook his head and looked up at Keith, smirking. “Nice. But don’t think that’s going to work again.

Keith held his hand out to pull Shiro back up. They re-positioned themselves, defenses up, ready for the other person to attack. This time it was Shiro who’s arm came from below. Keith took a step back, dodging it as Shiro’s other hand came from his side. He lifted his arm, pushing back Shiro’s fist while attempting to jab Shiro in the chest.

Shiro, though, was quicker, and caught Keith’s hand, lifting it up to push him away. Keith stumbled backwards, and in an attempt to balance himself he grabbed onto Shiro. Shiro must not have expected that, because a second later they were both on the ground, with Shiro right above him.

Shiro’s hands were on Keith’s sides, while Keith had a direct view of Shiro’s cleavage because of that damn low cut tank top. Keith’s legs were spread out, but Shiro’s knee was just touching his crotch.

“Shit! Sorry Keith are you…” When Shiro was finally looking at him, he noticed how flushed and sweaty he looked. Keith must not have looked better by the way Shiro was at a loss of words, just staring at him. Keith knew there was no hiding his embarrassment from this position.

“Fine!” Keith blurted, his head turning to his side while his hands were on Shiro’s biceps. “Just fine!”

“Right! Right…” Shiro finally stood up, holding out his hand so Keith had leverage. Keith hesitantly accepted, noticing how sweaty and shaking Shiro’s hand was. “So do you… uh. Wanna use the swords instead?”

“Yeah, yeah let’s do that!” Keith was on his way to the weapons station, thinking of every grotesque thing in his disasters textbook to calm his heart and his groin.

 

* * *

 

“Hey. Mind if I sit here?”

Keith looked up from what the menu claimed beef stroganoff, to see Shiro standing by his table with his food tray. It had been about three days since the gym incident with neither of them making a move to talk until now.

“No, I mean I don’t mind, yes please sit.” Keith stuttered out.

They were face to face again, with Keith playing with his food while Shiro biting his lip, as if trying to find the right words to say.

“So how was your quiz? For historical space failures?”

“Oh! It went well, your notes really are helping.”

He saw Shiro relax. “That’s good.”

It definitely was good, too good in fact. It was good that Shiro was willing to help him since his professors hate his attitude, it was good that he lent him his notes just because he was a good person, and it felt good to have Shiro by his side.

“Uh, so I was wondering…” Shiro began, drumming his fingers on the table. “If you’re not doing anything this weekend, did you want to go out to the town with me? I mean the other town, the one further out? I have a car and there’s a really good restaurant that I like to go to, and the center village is pretty at night.”

Keith dropped his fork, making a loud clank on his tray. He just stared at Shiro, unsure if those words were actually Shiro’s, or someone else’s. He looked behind him, making sure that those words at least were directed at him.

He must have been too stunned for a while because Shiro shook his head and took his tray. “Sorry, that was probably too stupid of me to ask. Uh, just forget—

“No! I mean yes!” Keith covered his mouth when eyes turned to them. He motioned for Shiro to sit back down. “Yes, I would love to go out with you.” He said in a quieter voice.

Shiro’s worry went away, replacing with his gentle smile. “Really? That’s great! I’ll text you more about it later this week?”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

 

* * *

 

Keith never wanted the week to go by faster until then. He was constantly fidgeting in class, waiting for each day to end. Even Lisa pointed out how excited he was, and she used excited because he was smiling the entire time. He didn’t say what for, but she must have a sixth sense because after class she said to him “good luck” with a wink.

When Saturday evening finally arrived, Keith was running out of the Garrison dorms and to the school’s seal, where Shiro was waiting for him. At this point Keith realized no matter what Shiro wore, he would always look too handsome and drool worthy. He was wearing a collared, short sleeved shirt with slim jeans. The buttons on his collar shirt were open, exposing just a bit of his collarbone. Keith repeated to himself look at his eyes, not his chest.

Shiro greeted him with a simple smile, and Keith felt like he was falling.

Shiro took him to a small, family owned restaurant where they served a combination of Asian cuisines. For their desert location, Keith was surprised they were able to get the ingredients and supplies they needed for their meal, but one bite in and Keith felt like was ten and eating his mom’s cooking.

Their talk this time was about their life before the Garrison. Shiro grew up with his grandparents, who raised him since he was a kid. His grandfather was an astronaut, his grandmother an astrophysicist, and they were his inspiration for joining the Garrison. Every summer he went back home to help take care of them, but they understood if he couldn’t go home in order to complete training.

Now it was Keith’s turn to explain his ‘sob’ story, how he was orphaned at a young age and moved around a lot from foster home to foster home, until he finally settled in the Garrison. His test scores to get into the Garrison were high enough for acceptance, which was how he finally found a bit of stability in his mobile life.

He hated how Shiro gave him solemn eyes at his story. Shiro was just that much of a caring person, but he didn’t need pity.

Shiro reached over the table and touched his hand. “Thank you for telling me.”

Then he realized it wasn’t pity. He understood and accepted.

Keith nodded. “Thanks for listening.”

When they finished and paid, Shiro took his hand again and led him out the door. “Okay, you are going to be so stunned when you see this.”

They weaved through the streets, taking every turn and passing through alleyways until they were at what Shiro claimed to be the center of the town. “Look here.”

He led him to a large, shallow brick well. Keith tilted his head. “Are we supposed to go swimming?”

Shiro chuckled. “No, look inside.”

Keith did just that. His eyes widened as the well reflected what looked like the Centaurus constellation. The water was black, while the stars shimmered through. He could barely see his and Shiro’s reflection. When the water moved, the stars stayed still. “This is beautiful.”

“Isn’t it?” Shiro said, leaning over it. “It’s like it’s holding part of the galaxy, just for us. We would never be able to reach that, but it’s right here.”

Keith glanced over at Shiro, who was still staring at the water. He could see the stars reflecting in Shiro’s brown eyes.

“Shiro…” Keith touched his arm, grabbing his attention. Shiro was now facing him, their bodies close together. Shiro’s hand gently brushed Keith’s cheek.

“May I?” Shiro whispered.

Keith grabbed him by the collar and pressed their lips together. He felt Shiro smile as the older man pulled him into a tight embrace.

 

* * *

 

Keith never expected to be in a relationship while at the Garrison. He also didn’t expect for the top student to talk to him in the first place, but now he had both.

After that night they spent every free moment together, either training in the gym or just reading in one of their rooms. Keith had even fallen asleep in Shiro’s room several times, and Shiro was definitely a cuddler, far too happy to have Keith in his arms. If there was any opposition for the cadets to date it went unheard of. The professor trusted Shiro’s decisions, and they did recognize Keith’s change in attitude towards authoritative figures, even if he still acted a little wild in solo training.

It was nice to have someone by his side, to tolerate his recklessness in the gym or be comfortable in their silence. Shiro understood him, even when Keith wasn’t talking, while Keith supported him all the way to graduation.

During the ceremony, Shiro was presented as valedictorian, receiving cheers from his grandparents, the Holts, and their professors. Keith made sure, though, that he was clapping the loudest.

“So this Keith,” Dr. Holt said as he approached Shiro and Keith after the ceremony. “I didn’t realize it was the same Keith who is bound to be your successor.”

Shiro had his hand on Keith’s shoulder. “Yes, he has been more than supportive of me.” He kissed the top of Keith’s head, and Keith just blushed and playfully pushed him away. Shiro’s grandparents and the Holts laughed.

“Keith, this is Matt.” Shiro introduced. “He’ll also be joining us on the Kerberos mission.”

He and Keith shook hands. Standing by Matt’s side was a girl with long brown hair, sharing Matt’s green eyes. “And this is my sister, Katie. She’s also looking into the exploration pilot program next year.”

Katie took his hand. “It’s great to meet you. I hope we can work together.”

Keith smiled. “I hope so too.”

 

* * *

 

Shiro only had one free month until his flight, but even that free month was bombarded with training and reports. Keith, however, was by his side, waiting until he was done or just watching him work in his room until they fell asleep together. He knew going into this relationship that Shiro would be gone for long periods of time, and he accepted that. Keith wanted to fly too, and soon enough the two would be in space together.

“This is the address you’ll send video messages to.” Shiro said, handing him a piece of paper.

“But, I thought these were for family only.”

Shiro kissed his forehead. “They are. To me my boyfriend is part of my family.”

The launch, though, was probably the hardest thing to watch. As much as he knew it was bound to happen, he felt his heart tighten when they left earth. Seven-month mission to Kerberos. One month on the moon, and then seven months back. More than a year before he could see Shiro again.

As promised, he was going to send video messages. He was only allowed to do one per month, and as much as that sucked it was the only way he could talk to him, even if Shiro couldn’t technically reply back in-time.

Keith awkwardly sat in his seat, repositioning himself and the camera. “Uh, so it’s June 26th, 3pm… and I’m just in my room.” Keith said, looking around his empty walls. His eyes turned to his desk, where a single picture frame of himself and Shiro stood. “Oh! I finally got this framed! The guy at the photo center said we were a cute couple.”

Keith looked down at the picture, his thumb brushing over Shiro’s face. “I just… I miss you. But I’m so glad you’re doing this. Just promise me, I get to join you on your next mission.”

+.+.+

“Uh, it’s July 18th now. And now thinking of it I really don’t do much... I got a new book to read, oh wait! I found this knife while I was hiking out in the desert. I swear I was being safe, I just got bored here and I found it. I think I’m going to sign up for a weapons class this summer just so I actually know how to use this thing.”

“… I still really miss you Shiro. I’ll think of you when I sleep.”

+.+.+

Keith was swinging his butterfly knife in front of the camera, showing how he’s able to avoid the blade while twirling it between his fingers.

“So I learned how to do this.” He said as placed the blade back. “Teacher said I’m a natural, not sure what that totally means though because I swear I just found the other knife last month. But combat training has also been going well, I definitely have improved since the first time you saw me. And I went back to our restaurant. The lady remembered me and asked about you. It’s about an hour bus ride to get there, but honestly it’s worth it.”

+.+.+

This time, Keith was lying in his bed with the camera right above him. He was using his cellphone to record this one. Keith rubbed his eyes tiredly. “So classes have begun again, which would totally be fine but they insisted I take a cargo class to understand more about team building, and _wow_ there’s this guy who is annoying as hell. And I know what you’re going to say, that this will definitely help me in my crew training, but god I kind of want to stuff a sock in his mouth.

“I swear Shiro you are like the only reason I’m holding back… wait not entirely I swear I have self-control down. But… okay you know what I mean.” He smiled wearily. “I’m sorry if I don’t get a message out to you as soon as I can. I’m supposed to start flying the real thing soon. It’ll be solo flights for now but Rocky, Lisa and I have advanced to the other crew classes. I’m really excited honestly. They’re a good team. I hope Dr. Holt and Matt are treating you well.”

 

* * *

 

When Keith received an email, attached with a video message from Shiro, he dropped everything just to go to his room and play it, ignoring the stares from everyone in the cafeteria.

On the screen, Shiro was adjusting the camera, trying his hardest to put it in focus without noticing it was recording. He was wearing his space jumper, but was unzipped down to his chest.

“Hey Keith, by the time you get this message I think I’ve only seen the first two videos? But I swear I’m watching every one that you’ve sent me. Things out here have just been quiet. I taught Matt how to play Go, Dr. Holt and I have been keeping up with our logs, and that’s about it. It’s really nice up here though, just like the well from that town. You’d love it up here.” Shiro looked down at his hands, taking a deep breath.

“I really miss you too, Keith. I miss sleeping next to you, watching you read… I wish you were here too. Uh, anyway I don’t think I’ll able to send another message like this, I think I’m already taking up too much time, and crap I haven’t sent one to my grandparents yet.” He laughed nervously. “Just know I’m always thinking about you. I can’t wait to see you again.”

When the video ended, Keith rubbed his eyes, just registering that he was crying. But he smiled through it, and replayed the video.

 

* * *

 

Keith kept leaving messages, keeping them brief as control center asked of their families, but he made sure to tell him in every message he told Shiro how much he missed him. For now, he definitely avoided the word love, because he wanted to say that to him in person. But he was sure Shiro knew what he meant.

 

* * *

 

“… due to a pilot error, the crew members of the Keberos mission are suspected to be dead. The Captain, Takahashi Shirogane, along with their pilot Dr. Sam Holt and Matt Holt were on an expedition to…”

There was total silence in the Garrison. Everyone was watching the news, in the cafeteria, in the classrooms, and for Keith, in his room, all alone.

He stood up, staring at his computer feed and watched the bottom of the screen scroll through the names of Keberos crew. They blamed Dr. Holt for the error, despite being an expert pilot. Shiro, who was probably second best on the mission, would have taken over, could have seen the error if there was one.

But a service was held for the fallen pilots. They were dead.

Keith could barely contain his anger and his grief when the professors were talking about Shiro, saying he was a talented student who died in his unfortunate accident. He closed his eyes when Mrs. Holt went up to the stand, crying for her husband and son. He wanted to cover his ears with Shiro’s grandparents talked about Shiro, how he wanted to be an astronaut just like them. But Katie… Katie didn’t say anything.

She was just a few seats down from Keith, and even though he didn’t know her, her saw himself in her eyes. Her lips quivered, her eyes full of anger, and her knuckles white from holding too tightly to her dress.

When the service ended, Keith tried to approach her, but she was quickly gone. And if not for her, Keith would have done the same. He couldn’t talk to anyone, not even Shiro’s grandparents. He had no idea what to say.

 

* * *

 

He never liked to talk about his family life with other people. He hated the sympathetic stares, how much they pitied him like he couldn’t take care of himself. Now when he entered the classroom, or walked down that hall, everyone gave him that stare. His relationship with Shiro wasn’t a secret, and so wasn’t his death.

 

* * *

 

“What the fuck Gyeong?!”

Keith’s fist tightened as he pulled back for another punch. The guy stumbled into the wall upon impact, taking a second to compose himself so he could punch back. Keith easily dodged as he kneed him in the stomach.

“Cadet! Gyeong stop!” He felt someone pull his arms back so he thrashed around, trying all he could to use his legs instead. “What is the meaning of this?!”

The guy, Cliff, wiped his bloody nose and spat on the ground. “Guy can’t take the fucking fact his boytoy is _dead_.”

Keith screamed, breaking out of the guard’s grip to land one more punch on Cliff. The guard called for more backup, and soon enough two more people pulled him back, dragging him to the Dean’s office.

+.+.+.

“You are on restricted watch.” Keith crossed his arms, looking anywhere except the Dean. “Your free hours will be spent cleaning the cafeteria or the bathrooms under supervision, and you will serve your next five Saturdays in morning detention for your outburst.”

The Dean sat down, sighing as he rubbed his forehead. “Keith, I know how much Shiro meant to you, but you cannot act this way. You have to move on.”

He hated this. He hated that everyone expected him to do that. He hated that Dr. Holt was the blame for the failure, leaving Katie and her mother to live with that information. He hated that Shiro’s grandparents lost another child, and he hated that he was so fucking alone.

On his way back, he heard angry yelling from a girl. He entered the bathroom, but kept the door slightly ajar.

A girl was dragged out of the professor’s computer room. Keith immediately recognized her as Katie, while Professor Montgomery stood above her.

She struggled from the guard’s grip on her arms. “You’re lying! The Keberos crew didn’t die due to pilot error! Their ship is still there!”

Keith’s eyes widened. What was she talking about? What were on those computers?

“This girl is not allowed on Garrison property.” Montgomery said as he walked back in the room.

“Let me go! Stop lying! Where is my family?!”

He watched her get dragged off the property. Now he was angry at himself that he just let it happen, because he had to know what she meant. Except he wasn’t allowed off the Garrison unless with supervision, and there was no way anyone would let Katie talk about her findings.

Keith also wasn’t a computer whiz. He had no idea how to break into the secured room without shattering the lock, let alone hack into their files. He could only use the information Katie yelled.

The ship didn’t crash. It’s still on Keberos, the pilots are just gone. How the fuck was that possible?

 

* * *

 

His next crew test was a failure.

Lisa and Rocky didn’t understand any of his commands. Rocky couldn’t fix their malfunctioning engine in time, and Lisa hit her head in the middle of turbulence. Keith crashed the ship into a comet.

He closed his eyes, just ignoring Montgomery’s insults and chides.

“… it’s piloting error like this that caused the men on Keberos to fail.”

Keith shot up, his breath hitching. “What did you say?”

“You heard me. You’re supposed to be Shirogane’s successor, but at this rate you’ll fail just like him.”

He saw red.

And the next second he was pinned down by two guards, while Montgomery held his patched eye. Montgomery cringed at the impact, scowling down at Keith. “I want this cadet expelled!”

Keith ignored how scared Lisa and Rocky were, how his classmates were in utter shock at his violence, how Shiro would have been so disappointed in him.

 

* * *

 

He only had that evening to pack his belongings and leave. Good thing he was minimalistic anyway. All his clothes and belongings fit into his suitcase and backpack, and he was sure ready to just walk out of that place. They were liars, covering up a mission by blaming the crew.

His laptop was the last thing he had to pack, but before he closed up his video player was open. He clicked on it, pulling up Shiro’s one and only video message months prior.

_“Hey Keith, by the time you get this message I think I’ve only seen the first two videos? But I swear I’m watching every one that you’ve sent me…”_

Keith covered his mouth as he felt to his knees. Tears streamed down his face, and months after the announcement, months after Katie’s outburst, and just hours after his own, he finally cried.

 

* * *

 

There was no way to explain it, but the desert called out to him. He wasn’t hearing voices, there were no subliminal messages, but when he finally settled into his abandoned shack with a well about a mile away, he knew he was in the right place.

A few days in, though, he was receiving some kind of energy waves. He spent his time, marking the pulses on a map, trying his damnest to find out what the hell the pattern was. Keith found two, very important things that day. First was a hover craft, something more advanced than anything the Garrison had. It was in a cave, where he found the next important thing: hieroglyphics telling the story of a lion. It was nothing he’s even seen before, and even his limited internet research proved nothing. The carvings were definitely old and preserved, while the hover craft was not invented by anyone in their time or area. But nothing could explain their existence.

He spent that time trying to decipher the story, understand why the energy pulses were in this area, and why it was calling to him.

And then a shuttle crashed.

It had energy, similar to the ones the cave emitted. He had no idea what it was, but they landed by the Garrison, meaning they were going to experiment and cover it up like last time. He was not going to allow that to happen.

A distraction was easy. The bombs he created were made of raw material he found out in the desert. Once they were in place Keith flew in and entered the medical room.

Covering his face, Keith took down the two doctors in swift and quick moves. They were unconscious instantly. He ran to the table and touched the man’s face. He looked much older for his age, his bangs white, with scars and wrinkles all over his face. But Keith immediately recognized him. The energy pulses were telling him to go there, just to save him.

“Shiro?”

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for the abrupt ending, but I felt the show, while vague, kind of explained Keith's situation in the desert. 
> 
> Kudos and reviews are appreciated! I promise I will return to Klance fics as soon as possible :)
> 
> talk voltron to me: [ tumblr ](http://mikuridaigo.tumblr.com) | [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/Das_Hazel)


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